Exercise Physiology: Training Principles, Muscle Structure, and Bioenergetics

Vocabulary flashcards covering basic training principles, skeletal muscle anatomy and physiology, sarcomere structure, and bioenergetic pathways from exercise physiology lecture notes.

Periodization

The gradual cycling of specificity, intensity, and volume of training to achieve peak levels of fitness for competition.

Synergistic Muscles

Muscles that work together to perform a specific movement.

Antagonistic Muscles

Muscles that perform actions opposing those of the agonist or working muscle.

Concentric Contraction

A muscle contraction during which the muscle actively shortens.

Eccentric Contraction

A muscle contraction during which the muscle extends or lengthens, which is responsible for building a large portion of strength.

Origin

The more stationary point of muscle attachment, typically located at the top.

Insertion

The more movable attachment point of a muscle, usually situated distal to the origin.

Sarcolemma

The cell membrane that surrounds each individual muscle fiber and fuses with tendons that insert into bone.

Fascia

A sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue located deep to the skin that surrounds muscles and other organs of the body, classified into superficial and deep layers.

Endomysium

Connective tissue sheath that surrounds the sarcolemma of an individual muscle fiber.

Perimysium

Connective tissue that bundles a group of muscle fibers together.

Epimysium

Connective tissue sheath that encases the entire muscle.

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

A series of longitudinal vesicles separating myofibrils from each other that stores calcium ($Ca^+$).

Sarcoplasm

The fluid portion of the muscle fiber.

Transverse Tubules (T-Tubules)

Tubular structures that pass among myofibrils to transmit nerve impulses through the muscle fiber.

Actin

A contractile protein that forms thin filaments which interact with myosin during muscle contraction.

A-Band

The region within a sarcomere that contains overlapping thick and thin filaments.

H-Zone

The central region of a sarcomere that reaches its maximum size when the muscle is completely relaxed.

ATPase

An enzyme that splits ATP to release the energy required for muscle contraction or relaxation.

Motor Unit

A single motor neuron and all of the muscle fibers that it innervates.

Slow Twitch Fibers

Muscle fibers characterized by high levels of aerobic endurance and high efficiency in producing ATP from carbohydrates and fats.

Fast Twitch Fibers

Muscle fibers with poor endurance that operate anaerobically, making them suitable for high-intensity efforts.

Isotonic Contraction

A muscle contraction where the muscle shortens to create movement, strengthening the muscle throughout its range of motion.

Isometric Contraction

A muscle contraction where tension is generated without producing joint movement or adding pressure onto the joint.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

A high-energy compound synthesized by cells to store and conserve energy.

Gluconeogenesis

The metabolic process of converting fats or proteins (amino acids) into glucose.

Lipogenesis

The biochemical process of converting protein into free fatty acids (FFA).

Phosphorylation

The process of storing energy by forming ATP from other chemicals.

Anaerobic Metabolism

Metabolic reactions that synthesize ATP in the absence of oxygen ($O_2$).

Aerobic Metabolism

Metabolic reactions that synthesize ATP requiring the presence of oxygen ($O_2$).

Beta-Oxidation

The metabolic pathway that breaks down free fatty acids into acetyl-CoA to generate ATP.